by Con Template
Yoori observed this scene intently, analyzing his every move and formulating in her mind every countermove she could use to conquer him. Yoori clenched her fists, doing her best to suppress that competitiveness pumping through her. It was the Soo Jin instincts within her, the prideful Queen in her that felt tempted to jump into that labyrinth to battle Tae Hyun. Yoori kept that part of her contained. She was merely a spectator tonight, not a challenger.
When there was only a minute left, Tae Hyun launched himself back onto the top of the maze.
Yoori expelled a breath. She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath the entire time until he stopped his attacks. Below, she could hear the groans of the initiates wheezing for air. They looked like men and women who had been hit by a bomb. They were spent, exhausted, and in excruciating pain.
Curiously, Tae Hyun no longer looked like he was prepared to go in for another ambush. If anything, it looked like he was merely standing there . . . waiting for something else to take place next.
Yoori wondered what it was he was waiting for. She wondered if other Serpents were planning to join this maze with him.
Her unspoken question was answered when one initiate climbed onto the brick foundation to join him.
Hae Jin stopped the timer at one minute, and the entire estate held their breath in anticipation.
“Good boy,” Kang Min whispered proudly, watching as the male initiate, who looked to be in his twenties and had dried blood all over his body, stood across from Tae Hyun on the maze.
“Finally,” said Jae Won, watching as the male initiate looked at Tae Hyun like a scared puppy.
Yoori did not need to question Hae Jin or the brothers to comprehend what was happening. She understood the meaning behind this segment of the initiation. The initiates were never supposed to exit the maze through the opening. They were never supposed to come back the same way they came in. They may have entered the maze as humans, but they must leave as Serpents. They were almost done with their initiation, but not quite yet.
The nervousness within the initiate’s eyes became more apparent the longer he stared at Tae Hyun. Although the initiate had never witnessed this before, he too, knew what the final portion of this initiation would entail.
“Stand tall, initiate,” Tae Hyun finally said over the wind, his authoritative voice moving the other initiates to a standing position. He was not speaking to them directly, but they listened to his words like they were the gospel all the same. Tae Hyun kept his eyes on the sole initiate standing before him. “Your future brothers and sisters are watching you from above. You do not want to disappoint them, do you?”
The initiate shook his head.
Tae Hyun nodded in approval.
“You have one minute with me,” he began to explain, placing his kendo stick aside. “During this timespan, you must not fall from this maze and touch the ground. If you touch the ground, I will start the clock again. None of you will leave until you see this minute through with me. Do you understand?”
While the initiate hesitantly nodded, Yoori asked, “What if he can’t do the one minute?”
“My brother will keep beating him until he sees it through, or until he dies,” said Hae Jin, her gaze on her brother and the initiate.
When the timer started, Tae Hyun charged at the initiate, elbowed him across the face, kneed him in his stomach, and then tossed him onto the ground like he was a rag doll.
As soon as the initiate hit the earth, the timer was reset to the beginning.
“You see your brothers and sisters up there?” Tae Hyun prompted as the other initiates crowded around the male initiate, helping him stand up. Tae Hyun pointed in the direction of the active Serpents on the estate. His voice thundered with pride as the initiate struggled to regain his breath. “Every second of their five-minute initiation was worth it. Your last four minutes were worth it, but I will see to it that you finish your last minute strong. Now get up!”
With the help of his fellow initiates, the male initiate climbed back onto the brick wall. Although he looked more determined than before to finish this through for his fellow initiates, every time he tried to withstand the one minute, he would get brutally beaten by Tae Hyun before he was tossed back onto the soils of earth.
This occurred so many times that Yoori began to fear for the initiate’s survival. Anymore of this, he would never survive the night.
It was evident that this realization was also clear to his fellow initiates.
After the first initiate’s tenth fall from grace, another initiate, a female initiate with her long black hair tied back, climbed up onto the maze. She stared at Tae Hyun fearfully. Regardless of her fear, she couldn’t let the first initiate go through with this beating any longer.
“Can I take his place?” she asked tentatively.
While the active female Serpents, including Hae Jin, smiled proudly, Tae Hyun nodded and said, “Yes.”
Her valor did not help her with Tae Hyun. Like the other initiate, he showed her no mercy. Within seconds, she was thrown to the floor, crashing onto the initiates beneath her. She would try her luck again but every time, she proved to be no match for Tae Hyun. The cycle continued with initiate after initiate climbing onto the maze to take turns for one another, to help save one another. However, none were able to match up to Tae Hyun. They all kept falling, none ever lasting longer than forty seconds.
As the night started to become darker and colder, Yoori’s heart began to break for them. They looked like children struggling against a God who could not be defeated. They had heart, but they did not have the strength to withstand his beatings.
Yoori could sense that the active Serpents were also beginning to feel sorry for them; they were beginning to root for the initiates to make it through the initiation. They, too, could see how hard the initiates were trying. When she concluded that this was a hopeless cycle and death was near, a Reaper climbed up and joined Tae Hyun on the top of the maze.
The initiates, including Yoori, gazed at him in disbelief. What was he doing?
The Reaper bowed his respect to Tae Hyun before shocking Yoori by saying, “Can I take their place?”
For the first time that night, Tae Hyun smiled. He nodded at the Reaper, clearly pleased with this turn of events.
“Yes,” he said simply.
That was when it all made sense to Yoori. She finally understood what this initiation was leading toward. She understood now why the Serpents loved and revered Tae Hyun so much. The final gatekeeper into the Serpents’ Kingdom wasn’t their King, but a fellow Serpents member. The initiates had already been initiated into the Underworld, but an active Serpent—one of the Reapers—had to sacrifice themselves to bring the initiates into the Kingdom and welcome them to the family.
The timer started and the Reaper battled Tae Hyun, showing the awestruck initiates below how well Tae Hyun had trained his Serpents. Although the Reaper would never be able to defeat the King of Serpents, he was powerful enough to battle with a God; he was strong enough to stay on the maze during that arduous one minute.
When the final seconds clicked to a close, Tae Hyun ceased with his assaults on the Reaper, who was breathing harshly due to his wounds. He may have survived the one minute with Tae Hyun, but that didn’t mean he came out unscathed.
Tae Hyun turned away from the Reaper and walked to the entrance of the maze. By this time, the active Serpents surrounding Yoori all stood up tall, their eyes fastened on their King. Yoori was the only one who remained seated.
After Tae Hyun reached the area beside the opening of the maze, he turned back to the initiates and said, “Climb onto the maze.”
They hastened to obey and climbed on top of the colossal brick structure.
The spectacular sight of over a hundred people, all dressed in white, standing atop that maze gave Yoori chills.
“Turn toward the estate,” Tae Hyun ordered, his back facing the estate.
In harmony, they all turned toward the estate.
“Kneel before your brothers and sisters.”
Without an ounce of hesitation, they all fell on one knee before their predecessors.
“Never forget that you were welcomed into this gang by an existing Serpent,” Tae Hyun said over the wind. “He sacrificed his own blood for you because he sees potential in you. Without him, you would have never seen this moment. Your act right now is not of servitude, but of respect. Respect for your elders, the ones who came before you, and the ones who will continue to sacrifice their well-being for you. Now stand tall.”
As soon as they stood tall, the rest of the active Serpents beside Yoori fell to one knee. Even Hae Jin and the brothers knelt in the direction of the maze. Yoori was shocked, and so were the initiates. It was startling to witness so many formidable looking Serpents kneel before anyone but their King, especially to a group of newly initiated members who looked like dilapidated rag dolls.
“This is their act of respect for you, for the blood you’ve shed to join their Kingdom,” said Tae Hyun over their astonishment. “You have proven yourselves to them and for that, once you step foot on the ground, you will become part of their family.”
He smiled, finally turning around and staring straight at Yoori. Some of the initiates followed his gaze and smiled up at her as well. They knew his acknowledgement of her meant one thing: the initiation was over.
“Now enjoy yourselves,” Tae Hyun whispered warmly, his smile growing wider when Yoori smiled back. “You’ve earned it.”
Cheering commenced throughout the estate and from her vantage point, Yoori could see a slew of black and white colors converging as the active Serpents rushed over to welcome the new initiates with opened arms.
Yoori shared in the same excitement as she rushed down from the roof and onto the grass. She excitedly moved through the jovial crowd, thrilled to not only witness such a glorious event, but to be included in this secret world of Tae Hyun’s. She sped over to the maze, eager to get to him.
Now that the King of Serpents was done with his duties, she was ready to be with her silly Snob again.
“But you are raised to be a God.”
10: The Duel of Gods
Tae Hyun was still atop the maze, waiting for Yoori and watching over his Serpents when she reached him. He glowed under the moonlight, looking positively divine as he rested his attention on her.
Yoori peered up at him, unable to keep the smile off her face. As silly as it sounded, after bearing witness to such an epic initiation, she felt like she was in the presence of a celebrity rather than her BFF. Yoori couldn’t stop beaming. She was ecstatic to be in his company again.
“Do you normally initiate with your shirt off?” she cooed, bashfully playing with the foliage of the maze.
Her heart raced when he favored her with a smile.
“No,” he said with a laugh. His melodic laughter rolled over the peaceful gardens, triggering her heart rate to accelerate even faster. “I wanted the chance to flex my muscles for you.”
Yoori laughed, her cheeks turning scarlet red at his teasing reply. She definitely enjoyed seeing those beautifully sculpted muscles flex. After her laughter died down, she tilted her head, no longer wanting to be so far from him. He looked like a God standing atop that maze, and she wanted to see what it was like to be up there with him.
“Can I join you up there?”
Tae Hyun did not waste time. He swiftly moved over to where she stood and lowered his hand to hers. Yoori shimmied off her heels and took his hand. He easily pulled her up, carefully making sure she was safely balanced on the maze. Once she became acclimated, he pulled out his charms.
“How did you like the show?” he whispered, cradling an already spellbound Yoori close to him. He feathered a kiss over her lips as his way of greeting her.
“It was . . . amazing,” she told him breathlessly, overwhelmed by the surge of euphoria that rang through her. She quickly surveyed her surroundings from her new, elevated height.
Yoori felt exhilarated. While on the estate roof, she felt like a Queen overseeing her people. While on this maze with Tae Hyun, she felt like a God who had descended onto Earth. From this vantage point, the mansion resembled a shrine created to honor the Gods. This labyrinth made her feel like the God that was being worshipped. There was an otherworldly quality to this maze that excited her. She felt powerful at this elevated status, untouchable. It was like she was a mountain that towered over everyone else—everyone else except Tae Hyun.
Yoori repressed any competitive feeling that could rouse inside her and focused on answering Tae Hyun’s question. She took her eyes off the mansion and faced Tae Hyun. Any thoughts of being a “God” vanquished when she saw his beautiful eyes. How surreal it was to be held by him with such love after witnessing such a spectacular event.
“I couldn’t believe how elaborate and how grand it was,” she added, the wonder having yet to leave her voice. “In the last minute, I wanted to take the place of those initiates as well.”
Tae Hyun nodded as though that was the intended effect. “That’s the point. The existing Serpents—primarily one of the Reapers—must want to do the same.”
“What if a Reaper doesn’t volunteer?”
“Then none of the prospects have proven themselves, and they will not be initiated,” Tae Hyun simply stated before he gently pulled her with him. He led her along the maze, sauntering across the ivy-covered labyrinth like they were strolling on the beach.
“Why does it have to be a Reaper who volunteers?” asked Yoori, very much enjoying the view from atop this maze. The gardens had a majestic quality now that it was only the two of them. She especially loved how the moonbeam kissed every square inch of the gardens. It was also exceptionally amazing because she had the King of Serpents holding her hand and guiding her around the maze like he was introducing her to another part of the world. It was tranquil and it felt magical.
“The Reapers will be their guides throughout their entire life cycle as Serpents,” Tae Hyun began to enlighten over a delicate breeze. “They will be the ones to show the initiates how cruel this world can be, they will show the initiates the light, and they will be the ones who will keep the initiates strong in the face of human weaknesses. Every aspect of the initiation embodied all these points. The Cobras were there to remind the initiates of the cruelty of the Underworld if they are weak, and I was there to remind them that no one could survive if they choose to go against their King.”
“And the Reapers sacrificing themselves to battle you mean that they have given you their assurance that these initiates have what it takes to be a Serpent,” Yoori contributed, following along with this symbolism. “They have what it takes to be worthy of entering the Kingdom.”
“It’s the way it should be,” Tae Hyun said proudly. “They may be here to serve me, but they joined for a family. The existing Serpents do not take kindly to newcomers, but when the initiates have proven their worth, they would never turn their backs on them.”
Yoori inhaled deeply, loving the meaning behind everything. A curious thought came over her that she had to playfully voice. “Do you think I can last one minute with you?”
Tae Hyun appraised her appreciatively. His sensuous gaze did not conceal his desire for her. “I’m sure you can, but know that I’ll give you more than one minute, baby.”
Yoori cracked up and lightly smacked his back. “You know what I meant!”
He laughed at her reaction before turning back around. There was a sultry quality to him when he pulled her closer. “Do you want to help me clean up?”
Yoori wrinkled her nose dubiously. “Huh?”
Undeterred, Tae Hyun motioned his hands up and down his body.
Yoori followed his movements and noticed that although his beautiful upper body was free of blemishes, his white pants had dirt and bloodstains from the initiates on it.
It dawned on Yoori what he was asking of her.
The implication behind the act left Yoori feelin
g shyer than usual. Declining was probably the proper thing to do, especially since she was his ex-girlfriend. However, she did not have the heart to refuse him. Not when he was standing there half-naked, literally asking her to clean him up. She should not be playing with fire, but Kwon Tae Hyun was too mouthwatering to deny. As long as she didn’t give in, she would be fine. It was that simple—in theory.
Yoori nodded bashfully at her weak reasoning, eyeing the garden soil while her cheeks turned redder.
Tae Hyun rewarded her with a heart-stopping grin and jumped down from the maze. He reached his arms up and caught her when she followed suit and jumped down. Yoori was thankful that her dress was more form fitting tonight. If not, the wind would’ve blown the ends of her dress every which way already.
Hand-in-hand, they wandered over to a more secluded part of the estate. It was hidden behind towering trees and was perfectly veiled from the prying eyes of the mansion. Yoori heard the soft trickling sound of water running and craned her neck to look ahead. A man-made pond sat peacefully before her, housing a rock formation that had water pouring from it like a waterfall. There was also a beautiful red bridge that sat suspended over the glowing body of water, pleasing Yoori’s already awestruck eyes.
On the grass beside the border of the water, Yoori spotted a white towel and new black pants for Tae Hyun to change into. She surmised that this slew of water must’ve been fresh if it was used for the Serpents’ beloved King to wash up in.
“It’s really pretty here,” Yoori commented when Tae Hyun unclasped his hand from hers and advanced toward the water.
She stood beside his new change of clothes, surveying the pretty garden with appreciative eyes. The tranquility calmed her and made her feel safe. It eluded her as to why this wasn’t Tae Hyun’s preferred estate.